The real or columnar cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is typical for the Mediterranean region, especially for Tuscany. For this reason, the evergreen tree is sometimes referred to as the Italian cypress. In contrast to the very similar false cypress, the columnar cypress is not absolutely frost hardy, which is why planted specimens can freeze to death in severe winters.
Columnar cypresses have shallow but broad roots
Columnar cypresses are flat-rooted
In their homeland, columnar cypresses are considered real pioneer plants that can settle in almost any soil. The trees belong to the group of so-called flat-rooted trees, i. H. the roots stay close to the surface, but spread quite wide. You have to be careful here, because the shallow root system can definitely cause damage to floor coverings (e.g. on paved sidewalks, etc.). In search of water, some roots also penetrate deeper into the ground, which is why cypresses should not necessarily be planted directly above water pipes, drainage or similar - the fine hairy roots can penetrate the pipe systems and destroy them. How deep the roots really reach depends on the one hand on the soil conditions (roots tend to stay on the surface in heavy soils, they go deeper in sandy ones) and on the other hand on the water supply.
Remove tree stump from Mediterranean cypress
Do you have a columnar cypress in your garden but want to get rid of it? There are several ways to do this: Of course, you can simply saw off the tree and dig out the root system. However, the following methods cause significantly less work (and also less destruction):
- Saw off the tree and use the tree disc as a saucer for flower pots or boxes etc., for example. There you can sow wonderful one-year-old, maybe overhanging summer flowers and thus create visual variety in the garden.
- Do not saw the tree just above the ground, but a good distance above it. Use the stump as a climbing aid, for example for rambler or climbing roses or for other climbing plants.
- Saw off the tree just above the ground and simply place various young plants (e.g. brown cranesbill, the groundcover grows almost everywhere) around the tree pit. Over time, this will be decoratively overgrown and overgrown.
- Saw the tree off just above ground level and just let the stump rot naturally. You can support this process by cutting the stump back and forth with a saw and pouring rotting compost into the gaps that appear.
tips
Alternatives for the columnar cypress that look similar but are guaranteed to be hardy are the dark green columnar yew, the grey-green heather juniper or the columnar Thuja (tree of life).